Creating a more energy-efficient home isn’t just good for the planet — it could also be good for your bank account. Whether you want to cut back on hot water, switch up your lighting or find more effective appliances, there are ways to be more mindful about your day-to-day energy usage.
If you’re looking to lower your energy costs to save money, here are some simple steps you can take to make your bills more affordable in the long run.
Switch Out Appliances
It may be a big investment in the short term, but installing more energy-efficient appliances, such as ovens, refrigerators, washing machines and dryers, could save you money over time. Keep an eye out for the Energy Star logo, which will tell you whether an appliance has been certified as energy efficient.
Replacing appliances is expensive, and you might need to finance your purchases. If you’re already dealing with a lot of high-interest debt, a debt consolidation loan could help you streamline your debt payments into one monthly bill, often at a lower interest rate.
Cut Down on Hot Water
It can be difficult to limit water use, especially if you’re someone who loves baths and long showers. However, hot water usage could be responsible for 18% of your energy bill. Keeping an eye on how much hot water you’re using might save you money.
Consider installing low-flow fixtures on your faucets and toilets, which limit the amount of water you use. If possible, turn down your water heater’s thermostat. You could also choose cold-water cycles for your washing machine and dishwasher to save on hot water.
Try Alternative Cooling and Heating Strategies
Cooling and heating your home are a large part of your energy bill each month. Here are some ideas to help lower your spending:
- Instead of blasting the air conditioning in every room, invest in fans that can help move cool air around more cheaply. You could turn on a standing fan or ceiling fan at night to regulate the temperature in your bedroom and not waste money cooling the rest of your home. If you don’t have ceiling fans, look into the cost of installing them. It may save you a lot of money, especially if you live somewhere with long, hot summers.
- Use carpets or rugs to better insulate your floors — carpeting could help keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
- Seal window and door leaks and check your insulation. You may need to hire a specialist to help you with this sort of task.
Air-Dry Your Clothes
Buy a foldable dryer rack or clothesline and air dry some of your clothes to cut down on dryer usage. Not only do dryers use about 3% of your household energy budget — about six times that of washing machines — but air drying your clothes could save you around $2,100 over the life of your dryer. If you aren’t ready to give up on your dryer yet, try a mix of both. A combination of air drying and using a dryer is the next best option for your wallet and the environment.
Shift Your Daily Habits
Making small tweaks to the way you approach energy usage at home could also help you save money. Try the following:
- Check your monthly utility bills to see how much energy you’re using. Most providers track your energy consumption so you can see how much you’re spending on energy from month to month. You might be able to track whether your changes are making a difference.
- Unplug devices when you aren’t using them, particularly chargers for phones and laptops, kitchen appliances and TVs.
- Check that your appliances are clean and working properly — dust, lint and other debris can get stuck and make the machine work harder, which uses more energy with less results.
- Depending on the weather, open your windows to cool your home.
Save Money With Small Changes
You don’t need to break the bank to make your home more energy-efficient and lower your bills. You also don’t have to make all these changes at once.
Figure out which changes are the easiest to make right away, what you can afford to do now, what you need to save up for and where you could get the biggest bang for your buck.
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